Fish-trap.



No. 785,287. PATENTED MAR.'21,1905. A. J. BROOME.l

FISH TRAP.

PPLIOATION FILED summe, 1904.

Suivante@ CMV '35th,

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UNITED STATES Patented Maren 21, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ADAM J. BROOME, OF MADISON, FLORIDA.

SPECIFICATION .forming part of LettersPatent No. 785,287, dated March21, 1905.

' l Application filed September 26, 1904. Serial No. 225,953

To all wil/0m t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ADAM J. BROQME, a citizen of the United States,residing at Madi' son, in the county of Madison and Stateof Florida,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fish-Traps, ofwhich the following is a specification. q

This invention relates to fishing-trapping, and particularly to afish-catching basket or trap adapted to be hung or moored immersed in astream or body of water. p Y

The object of theinvention is to provide a gauze trapping havinggraduated passages thereinto from one or both ends thereof, so that fishof various size may be caught and retained by the trap. Y

A further object of the invention is to provide novel and peculiar meansfor forming the various passages so that two of suchpassages and thebody of the trap are formed by one and the same piece of gauze and theother passages are formed by a separate piece of gauze which forms innergauze lining to the said trap-body. p

The various traps of this character, as far as known to me, have notgraduated fish-V passages in horizontal alinement, so that fish of allsizes may enter the first or outer funnel at one end of the trap, wherethe larger-sized iish are retained, while the smaller size pass througha second or inner funnel, where they are retained in the central part ofthe trapbody. It is therefore the 'purpose of this inA vention toconstruct a trap to'catch and hold by and in one end of the traplarge-size fish, while those of smaller size pass through 'an innerfunnel into the bodyof the trap, where they are retained, thusl.assorting the sh as they are caught. f

With these `objects in view the invention consists in the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts, and particularly in a cylindricalgauze body terminating in end funnels pointing toward each other and aninner or intermediate funnel separating the end funnels and dividingthetrap-body into separate compartments.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, Figure 1is an elevation. Fig.` 2 is a central longitudinal section. Fig.V 3 isan end view. Fig. 4 is an elevation of a modification.

The same numeral references denote the same parts throughout the figuresof the drawings.

Y The trap is cylindrical and is composed of `wire-gauze 1, suitablysecured around a series of metallic hoops or rings `2, which are bracedby longitudinal rods 3. is folded over the end hoops 4 inwardly to formiish-entrance funnels 5 and 6, having a VcontractedY passage 7 and 8,respectively, formed by the ends of the wire comprising the gauze, sothat exit through the passages is impossible owing tothe projecting wirepoints, which form an uneven, irregular, or spear-like periphery to thesaid passages.

Between the funnels 5 and 6 is located an inner or intermediate funnel9, having a passage l0 smaller than the passage 7 and larger than thepassage 8, all of which passages are in direct horizontal alinement. Thefunnel i9 is formed by bending one end of an inner gauze lining 11 overone of the hoops 2 and projecting said end inwardly in conical shape.The other end of the gauze 11 is secured to another of the said'hoops.This arrangement of the gauze pieces 1 and 1l forms a receptacle 12 forlarge fish and a main shreceptacle 13, having two layers of wiregauze.'.Themain compartment has a suitable door 12%,'and the receptacle 13 hasa like .door 13?.

It is obvious that the variation in size of the funnel-passages affordsa passage for only lsuch sizeiish asfare intended to have enter therespective receptacles into which the funnels discharge, therebyassorting the fish as Vthey are caught according to size.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the inner gauze is bent at each endinwardly to form two inner funnels 14 and 15, so that three separatefish-compartments 16, 17, and 18 are provided, the central one of whichhas a double wall of wire-gauze. It will be observed that thefish-compartments are separated by the funnels, so that the iish arekept separate and may be removed in as- The gauze 1v sorted condition.The body of the trap having two thicknesses of gauze more eie'ctuallyholds the ish without danger of their escape, and this part of the trapreceiving greater number of ish is prevented from sagging under theweight of the ish or from being bent by accidental contact.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

A sh-trap comprising a series of hoops, rods connecting the hoops, anouter wireauze lforming the body of the trap, funnels ormed bythe endsof the gauze and pointing inwardly toward each other7 an inner gauzelining for part of said body, and an intermediate funnel formed by oneend of the said inner gauze, all of said unnels being in horizontalalinement and having graduated openings to permit fish of all size topass into the trap irom one end and to aiiord a passage for small fishinto the trap from the other end, substantially as shown and described.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

ADAM J. BROOME.

Witnesses:

A. T. HORNE, CHAs. E. DAVIS.

